Markforged's software capabilities and global market reach accelerate the adoption of Digital Metal's reliable and production-ready binder jetting solution

WATERTOWN, Massachusetts –(BUSINESS WIRE)– Markforged (NYSE: MKFG), maker of the integrated metal and carbon fiber additive manufacturing platform, The Digital Forge, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Höganäs AB to acquire Digital Metal. Digital Metal, a manufacturer of a leading binder jetting solution known for its precision and reliability, has expanded Markforged's capabilities in the high-volume manufacturing of metal additive parts with this acquisition.

The acquisition of Digital Metal underscores Markforged's strategy of solving industrial customers' manufacturing challenges directly at the point of need. This new offering gives manufacturers the ability to produce large volumes of functional metal components with minimal setup time. Traditional production often takes months to transition from design to manufacturing, introduces third-party risk, and offers poor economics during ramp-up and at lower volumes.

Markforged views binder jetting as a highly scalable additive manufacturing technology for production-ready parts from a variety of metal materials. Digital Metal's solution is designed to deliver high-precision, premium part quality and reliability. Binder jetting complements Digital Forge's existing offerings and will expand Markforged's market by solving new customer problems.

"With the acquisition of Digital Metal, Markforged is advancing its vision of distributed manufacturing by enabling reliable, high-volume production of precision metal parts directly at the point of need. By integrating Digital Metal's solution into the Digital Forge platform, we can address new applications in the medical, automotive, luxury goods, and other industries," said Shai Terem, President and CEO of Markforged. "The Digital Metal team has developed a robust and scalable solution that complements our existing technologies. I look forward to welcoming their talented employees to Markforged."

Founded in 2003, Digital Metal is a wholly owned subsidiary of Höganäs AB and the developer of a proprietary binder jetting AM technology. Digital Metal printers are known for their high productivity, excellent surface quality, and superior resolution, and have already been used to produce hundreds of thousands of parts, including parts for leading companies in the consumer goods, scientific, and automotive industries. Markforged sees significant opportunities to further accelerate the adoption of Digital Metal through integrated software capabilities and a global go-to-market platform.

"Markforged's easy-to-use platform, world-class software features, and material expertise are ideally suited for the future of our technology," says Christian Lönne, CEO of Digital Metal. "We are confident that with Markforged's experience and market presence, we will be able to jointly develop our technology and help more manufacturers produce the high-volume metal parts they need for highly productive and cost-efficient operations."

Under the transaction, Markforged will pay Höganäs approximately $32 million in cash, approximately 4.1 million Markforged common shares, and approximately $1.5 million in cash to settle certain intercompany balances, subject to certain adjustments. The acquisition of Digital Metal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2022, subject to customary closing conditions.

About Digital Metal

Digital Metal's binder jetting technology enables the production of highly complex objects with excellent surface finishes and repeatable accuracy, something unattainable with competing technologies. In addition to designing, manufacturing, and selling printers, Digital Metal also offers printing services for short-run or high-volume production. The company's customers include many of the world's leading companies in the aerospace, automotive, industrial, medical, energy, luxury goods, and scientific industries.

Digital Metal® was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in southern Sweden. The company is part of the Höganäs Group (founded in 1797), a leading manufacturer of metal powder. Read more at www.digitalmetal.tech or www.linkedin.com/company/digital-metal.

About Markforged

Markforged (NYSE: MKFG) is reinventing the way people manufacture by leading a technology-driven transformation of manufacturing with solutions for businesses and societies around the world. The Markforged Digital Forge brings the power and speed of agile software development to industrial manufacturing, combining hardware, software, and materials to solve supply chain problems at the point of need. Engineers, designers, and manufacturing professionals worldwide rely on Markforged metal and composite printers to produce tooling, fixtures, functional prototypes, and high-quality finished products. Markforged is headquartered in Watertown, Massachusetts, where the company develops its products with over 400 global employees. To learn more, visit www.markforged.com.

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Although Markforged believes that it has a reasonable basis for each forward-looking statement contained in this press release, Markforged cautions you that these statements are based on a combination of facts and factors currently known by it and its projections of the future, about which it cannot be certain. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, the anticipated synergies of the combined companies, the timing for closing of the proposed transaction, the successful and/or timely integration of the Digital Metal business with Markforged's products and the potential benefits customers may realize from such integration and the future product and strategy plans of Markforged and Digital Metal. Markforged cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements in this press release will prove to be accurate. These forward looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, among others, including, without limitation, risks associated with: Markforged's and Höganäs' ability to satisfy the conditions to the closing of the transaction on a timely basis or at all; the occurrence of events that may give rise to a right of one or both of the Markforged and Höganäs' to terminate the purchase agreement; Markforged's inability to file a registration statement to register the resale of the stock consideration, when issuable; the possibility that the anticipated synergies of this transaction may not be achieved in a timely manner or at all; general economic, the impact of COVID-19 on countries or regions in which we have operations or do business; political and business conditions and those other risks identified under the heading “Risk Factors” in Markforged's most recent periodic and other filings with the SEC, as well as any subsequent filings Markforged makes with the SEC. Furthermore, if the forward-looking statements prove to be inaccurate, the inaccuracy may be material. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by us or any other person that Markforged will achieve its objectives and plans in any specified time frame, or at all. The forward-looking statements in this press release represent Markforged's views as of the date of this press release. Markforged anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its views to change. However, while Markforged may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Markforged has no current intention of doing so except to the extent required by applicable law. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing Markforged's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

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